Contentions

Apparently, Michelle Obama is at it again — claiming we don’t spend enough on AIDS testing because we are a bunch of homophobes. Well, in fiscal year 2006 (the most recent one I could access in fifteen minutes of painstaking research), I found that we as a country spent over $2.8B on AIDS-related programs.

Maybe we should have spent $3B or $5B or $100B. But the reflexive assumption that failure to spend billions more on whatever she deems the highest priority of the day stems from discrimination or hatred is disturbing to say the least. If Obama is elected, whoever gets the job of OMB better watch out. Every budget cut or act of restraint may be interpreted as evidence of deep-seated prejudice and mean-spiritedness. Or does this equation only operate in Republican administrations?